CXC reverses “ungraded” for 11 of 20 schools – Education Ministry

In light of widespread public outrage over the results from the 2020 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), the Education Ministry on Friday announced that the Caribbean Examinations Council has reversed the “ungraded” status for 11 schools in Guyana.
This was after the Ministry engaged CXC to review the grades that were awarded to students from several schools.
In a statement on Friday, the Education Ministry said that the Council agreed to review the submissions it made for both examinations.
A total of 20 schools in fifteen CSEC and CAPE subject areas received ungraded results. The CSEC subjects that were affected are: English A, Mathematics, Principles of Business, Office Administration, Human & Social Biology, Theatre Arts, Physical Education & Sports and Economics.
The CAPE subjects that were affected are: Geography Unit 1, Caribbean Studies, Agricultural Science, Environmental Science, Accounting Unit 1 & 2, Law Unit 1 and Pure Mathematics Unit 1 & 2.
However, following the Minister’s intervention, eleven schools where students received results that were “ungraded” have since received results with grades.
These schools are Port Kaituma Secondary, Patentia Secondary, Annandale Secondary, New Amsterdam Secondary, Paramakatoi Secondary, Harmony Secondary, Carmel Secondary, Central High School, The Bishops’ High School, Leguan Secondary School and Mahaicony Secondary School.
Meanwhile, the CSEC subjects that were initially “ungraded” and would have received grades upon review by CXC are: English A, Principles of Business, Office Administration, Economics and Human and Social Biology. Additionally, in relation to CAPE, grades were received for Geography Unit 1 that was previously “ungraded”.
The Ministry said CXC has committed to providing an update on the outstanding nine schools at the earliest possible time.
On the other hand, Chairman of CXC, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, has since convened a team that will review the modified approach for the administration of the July-August 2020 CSEC and CAPE examinations; the moderation process applied to the School-Based Assessment (SBA) for these exams, and the grading process, among other related matters.
Chair of the review team is Professor Emerita and retired Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Open Campus at The University of the West Indies, Professor Hazel Simmons-McDonald. Other members of the team are retired UWI Pro Vice-Chancellor, Planning and Development, Professor Andrew Downes; President of the University of Curacao, Professor Francis De Lanoy; retired Chief Education Officer of Trinidad and Tobago’s Education Ministry, Harrilal Seecharan, and Antigua and Barbuda Education Minister, Michael S Browne, who is currently the Chair of the Caricom Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD).
The team met with the CXC Chairman on Friday and commenced work immediately. They are expected to submit a report to the Chairman by Friday, October 16, 2020.
Nevertheless, the Education Ministry in Georgetown on Friday explained that a number of factors contributed to candidates’ results being recorded as ungraded. The Ministry has immediately begun to revert to pre-existing systems which will be strengthened to prevent a reoccurrence.
In relation to the unsatisfactory results in the CSEC examination, a total of twenty-four (24) schools indicated unsatisfactory performance in twenty (20) subject areas namely: Geography, English A and B, Economics, Caribbean History, Additional Mathematics, Mathematics, Food, Nutrition and Health, Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, Office Administration, Social Studies, Industrial Technology (Mechanical), Integrated Science, Information Technology, Electronic Documentation Preparation and Management, Human & Social Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Physical Education & Sports.
Meanwhile, six schools submitted requests for review of unsatisfactory results in seven CAPE subject areas. These subjects are Integrated Mathematics, Pure Mathematics, Caribbean Studies, Communication Studies, Sociology, Biology and Chemistry.
Regarding the unsatisfactory results for both CSEC and CAPE, the Caribbean Examinations Council has undertaken to provide an update at the earliest possible time.
The Education Ministry said it is aware that individual students have approached CXC to review grades in a number of subject areas at both the CSEC and CAPE level. It believes that these requests by students should be addressed expeditiously.